Nocturne for Orchestra
by Kirasdream
Summary: ON HIATUS. A young independent Victorian Girl who is adopted by High Society befriends Cain Hargreaves and together they piece together incidences that lead back to Delilah. Spoilers, no pairings. T for language and implied situations.
1. Chapter 1

I apologize if the dialogue is stupid. I wanted a Sleepy Hollow kind of effect.

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He bowed, taking my hand and kissing. "Your skin is like moonlight," he said, his black eyes looking up at my blue ones. "Almost like pure ivory."

I raised my eyebrows. Victorian-age men were flattering when they saw a rich unmarried girl. Was he in a rude awakening once he finds out that I'm barely middle class, that I was here at the Katran's Banquet as a guest, and that the very expensive dress I wore was loaned to me, let alone I was not supposed to be in the Victorian era. "Why thank you." I replied politely, looking beyond him to the dance floor, dozens of couples waltzing under a diamond chandelier. I had to be polite to the man, in case he was sincere, and to protect the Katran's reputation it would be very selfish of me, as their guest intruding not only on their banquet but also their hospitality, to accuse their business partner's son to be insincere.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked, sweeping a hand to the dance floor.

I shook my head. "I do not know how to waltz." I said; I could probably pick it up quickly, but I didn't want to get too close to him, since he gave an air of a suspicious man that had too many regrets.

"Then I shall teach you." He took my hand and practically dragged me out to the dance floor, me almost tripping twice on the long gown.

"No, I think I would prefer—" I said through gritted teeth as he seized my hand and started leading.

"I insist." He said, treading on my dress.

_He must be desperate._ I thought as I endured five and a half minutes of us tripping on my dress. _I guess Mr. Katran's reservations of Mr. Baran's fortune becoming depleted are true. Why else would his son come after me other than to make a good impression on Mr. Katran? Or perhaps he heard the rumor of Mr. Katran contemplating on adopting me. _ I sighed. _ Somehow I wish men would be interested in girls not because of suspected money, but that's society here. _Mozart's Sonata finally ended, and I tried to squirm away, but to no effect.

"Let us take a walk," Baran jr. said, his voice a little forceful.

"That is kind of you." I managed to break away from him once his grip slackened slightly. "But I'm a little thirsty, so I'm going to get some water," and I dashed over to the wine table on the opposite side of the room before he could object.

I spent the next hour avoiding him; I would pretend to get food, engage in other people's conversations, fake needing the levorotary, wanting fresh air, anything to get away when he stalked over. Towards Eleven, he seemed to give me up, no longer following me, and within fifteen minutes attached himself to the arm of a giggly girl who looked younger than me; I should not fail to mention that her dress was more elaborate than mine--and that was saying something—thus more expensive, and was called "Kathryn Von-Dam", and was apparently the daughter of a banker who managed half of London's banks (information provided by eavesdropping on gossiping women who watched the two, hiding behind fans). Grateful and not at all jealous that Baran jr. had moved on to someone else, I warily sat in a chair set up against the gold-red wall, watching tuxedo men and frilly women dance, talk, drink, or laugh in groups. I caught Mr. and Mrs. Katran talking to another couple, which I vaguely noticed, due to Mr. Katran looking strangely serious and Mrs. Katran's natural smile a little artificial. I became a little concerned, but remained seated; if it were any of my business, then Mr. and Mrs. Katran would tell me about it later after the party was over.

"Excuse me," A tenor's voice cut through Chopin's Sonata like a stray cello deciding to perform a solo.

_Oh man, not another one_, I groaned inwardly, and warily looked to my right for the source of my future vexation.

He was dressed like the other young men, but with a little more…gothic. His black hair hung around his pale face between his chin and shoulders, and had green eyes shot with gold. He carried himself very confidently, slightly leaning on the cane he had held in front of him, but had a slightly haunted look in his features despite it. He looked very mysterious and, I freely admitted to myself, was easily the best looking man of the three hundred guests that were in the ballroom that I had seen. Apparently he was very popular as well: several girls passing casted longing looks toward him and loathing ones at me.

"I am curious as to why the Katran's guest is sitting alone instead of indulging the conversations of strangers." He had an arrogant kind of smile that could make a girl with romantic inclinations squeal and faint.

Luckily, I was not a girl of romantic inclinations--not at the moment, anyway. "Well, that is what I seem to be doing now, is it not?"

Even his eyes smiled. "Then let us no longer be strangers. My name is Cain Hargreaves." He gently took my hand and kissed it.

I returned the smile, regardless of my suspicions. "Marilynn Chizmar." I said, though a little interested as to why his parents named him that way.

"I saw that a Robert Baran jr. gave you a 'dance lesson', did he not?" Cain asked with a hint of sarcasm when he said 'jr.'. "Would you like me to test how well his methods were?" He offered his arm. "Or perhaps I can give you a better one." He suggested, his eyes narrowed with still a small smile.  
He was very amusing, and intriguing, so I extended my arm to his as I stood up. "Then let us commence." I replied, and with nearby girls glaring at us, we stepped out onto the dance floor.

Though Cain was domineering, helped by the fact he was about six inches taller than I, he was very gentle and relaxed, and I felt comfortable about him leading the waltz. He had a natural rhythm—something that Baran jr. did not—and through whispered counting and instructions I soon got the hang of it.

"Are you a musician?" I asked; a lot of musicians tended to be good dancers, and his instructions reminded me of my early piano lessons.

"I play the violin." He answered, stepping back to give me a twirl. "I believe, picking up the dance easily, that you are a musician as well?"

"Pianist." I said as I returned into the basic position. "It helps if your grandfather is a concert pianist."

"Yes, it would." Cain agreed. He looked at me with an analytical look. "You are not from here."

"How can you tell?" I asked in mock mysteriousness. "Besides the fact that I do not have an accent."

"The way you walk, talk, act, sit, look…basically everything." Cain said simply.

"So?"

We did a spin, and then he bent me backward at the waist, leaning over me. I clung to him, terorrfied that he would drop me, him staring at me with somber eyes, before he swiftly drew me up.

"What the hell was that for?" I almost gasped, accidentally letting a rather inappropriate word slip, and we still continued the waltz even though the other dancers had looked at us, stunned.

He tsked, though his eyes were still solemn. "Language indeed; not from high society." He said, his face calm and impassive. "For an answer, I happen to like women short of breath breath."

I stared at him, surprised and—hating myself—stung that he could be so blunt; everything was so subtle here. "Then you would excuse me if I do not wish to gain your liking." I said coldly, detaching myself away from him and leaving the dance floor. He seemed so unusual…then he had to go off and say that…but it seemed like he didn't mean it in a perverted sense….

_Then what else would he have meant it?_! I asked myself. _Nothing. Nothing at all. It was what you thought._ I did not stop to see if he had followed me as I went to Mr. and Mrs. Katran, who were still engaged with the other couple.

"Dear, what is wrong?" Mrs. Katran had caught sight of my approaching, and excused herself to greet me. "Who has angered you?" She asked, peering into my face, then lowered her voice. "I must apologize for Robert; he is very distraught—"

"It wasn't him." I muttered, fighting to keep my voice even. "I'm fine; I just want to retire early."

"Ah, who is this?" The man who the Katran's were conversing with also came up to me, with a woman and Mr. Katran. I looked at the man and stared, distracted from Cain's comment.

The man was young, perhaps mid twenties, with blue eyes sparkling behind glasses, and long, blonde hair tied back, wearing a white tux. The woman beside him was dressed in all black, with glinting black eyes and hair. It was like seeing an angel and a demon arm in arm.

"This is our guest, Marilynn Chizmar." Mr. Katran gestured toward me, his eyes glancing at the man warily. "Marilynn, this is Dr. Jizabel Disraeli, and his guest Ophelia."

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Dun-dun-dun-dddduuuuunnnnnn.


	2. Chapter 2

I should really proof read before I post things....

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I was aware that my mouth was gaping and closed it. "I am pleased to meet you." I said, bowing slightly just in time to see Cain walking past in the corner of my eye, and quickly looked away.

Dr. Disraeli apparently noticed my unease: "You were dancing with the Earl, correct?" He asked kindly as Cain walked by—rather slowly I might add.

"You mean Mr. Hargreaves?" I responded, very aware that the person in question was close by our group. "I was not of the impression that he was from noble lineage."

Dr. Disraeli laughed, his partner Ophelia having some sort of smile on her face. "She is very outspoken." Dr. Disraeli addressed Mr. Katran good-naturedly. "Surely she would make a fine daughter!"

"Yes she would." Mr. Katran agreed, exchanging a glance with Mrs. Katran and I. "But considering our ages, she is more like a granddaughter to us."

"Hopefully not to be spoiled." Ophelia remarked for the first time. Her voice took me aback; it was little higher, though thankfully not little girl-ish, than I would have thought.

I noted as the conversation leaned more to the party, Cain seemed to lose interest in eavesdropping and went to greet a rather tall, blond man that was by the doorway, politely turning down girls who had enough courage (or gall as the women here put it) to ask him to dance. I also tired of the conversation, curtseying politely out and headed out of the ballroom (Cain seemed to have gone elsewhere, thankfully) and up the stairs to the third floor, heading straight for the balcony that overlooked the vast gardens in Katran's back 'yard'. It was midnight, as far as I could tell, with the lights that shone from the mansion revealing the hundreds of shrubs and flowers and the entrance of the huge maze I had gotten lost in earlier. Noise and music floated from the downstairs ballroom into the garden. The half-moon was shining brightly enough to encourage some view of the rest of the maze and the gardens beyond that.

There was a gentle breeze, but some of the bushes just below me were shifting faster than the wind could match, and suddenly a girl stumbled out from it, giggling.

"Katie, are you alright?" A man's silhouette followed the girl, and I recognized him as Robert.

'Katie' Von Dam's voice floated dreamily upward. "Yes, I'm quite fine. Let us go somewhere more private…"

Robert, of course, agreed, and they both walked hand in hand toward the archway that became the entrance to the maze. I sniggered, shaking my head.

"Katie already, is it?" I said, continuing to watch them.

"Now, I wonder what they will be engaging in." Cain's head magically popped over my shoulder, also watching their progress into the hedges.

I had to stifle a shriek of alarm as I started. Vexed, I whipped around and pushed him away. "How did you get up here?! This is a private area!" I whispered angrily.

"Interested in what they are doing as well?" Cain smirked. "I am rather good at convincing servants—" I snorted. "—if not that Katran welcomes me into his home rather often."

"Really?" I asked skeptically. "And it's Mr. Katran; show some respect."

"Dropped the formal language?" Cain looked much too amused than I liked. "_Mister_ Katran obviously did not inform you that we are related."

I grimaced, disgusted. I did not want to be related to this…person…in any way. In fact, why was I even conversing with him? "Leave me." I said as politely as I could, turning away and leaning on the balcony's stone railings.

He chuckled, making no attempt to obey my statement. "Still sore after my comment."

I pretended not to hear him, but still was aware of what he said or did. I heard his shoes tap against the marble, and he set his cane against the railing, joining me in watching the gardens, giving us a good six inches of space.

"I take it as a yes." He went on as if he enjoyed my silence (he probably did). "I must tell you, however, that you misunderstood me."

My eye twitched. "Oh? How could I misunderstand 'shortness of breath'? Mr. Hargreaves, I am equally adept at discerning innuendos as anyone who cares to listen and understand the 'delicate' matters the permeate through society."

Cain allowed himself to look amazed. " That is a bold statement, coming from a lady." He said bemused.

"Not as bold as yours." I said icily. "Now please leave me alone."

"If this is a situation where you do not want company," Cain said, unfazed, "then might I suggest that you offer the excuse of retiring to your room?"

I glared at him. "I do not want to leave. You are being rude."

"I might say the same for you." Cain replied. "What were you conversing with Jizabel about?"

I glared at him for the change of subject. "Wouldn't you like to know?" I said smugly, giving him a coy smile, though the conversation was really nothing.

"Yes, I would actually." The amusement in his face and voice was gone, his face hardening. I became weary. "It seems that Katran has not told you of Delilah."

"He has, in fact." I countered. "The Crimone Garden." I connected his earnestness to know to the subject. "Oh don't tell me Dr. Disraeli is a Cardmas—"

A sudden yelp caused both Cain and I to jump, Cain swiveling his head from me to the source of it: the maze. There were no more sounds but he still strained to see or hear anything else. I suddenly understood what had happened and started giggling. He looked at me and caught on, breathing "Oh…" and relaxed, a smile on his face as well.

"You surprise me, Earl Hargreaves." I said teasingly. "I would think that you would recognize the sound, having been acquainted with it."

"And I must express MY surprise that you are familiar with the sound as well." Cain said, looking very haughty and wiping the smile of my face.

"I hear things." I said, hmmphing and turning away. "I believe the situation is different with you."

"That it is." Cain agreed, his voice becoming softer.

"And this is supposed to help your argument that it was a 'misunderstanding'?" I said with my eyebrows raised. "Care to explain?"

Cain was silent for a while. I looked over my shoulder to see him look…haunted. I immediately wondered if the reason for his playboy actions was because…

"Every woman I loved," he said finally, avoiding my calculating eyes, "was tak—"

Another scream reverberated through the night, though sounded eerily different. Nevertheless, it still made us both stop and change the somber mood.

"Can they not think of something else to do?!" I mumbled exasperatedly as Cain and I looked over the railing, straining to see what was going on, when another scream shattered from the blackness. This voice was a man's, and I realized that both screams were like they were torn out their owner's lungs. I unconsciously stepped closer to Cain, who surveyed the maze.

"Stay here," he ordered, "I'm going to get someone to check it out and when I return let me know what has happened in the mean time—" He started to turn away when he—and I—realized that I was gripping his sleeve. I let it go hurriedly, and despite the situation he smiled at me.

"Never mention this again and I'll watch." I snapped and he rushed away down the hall, and I shrank into the shadows to watch the scene unfold.

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I think Cain's a little more reserved and haunted, but I'm just displaying his playboy side.


End file.
